Wires
by Fire-of-the-Ocean
Summary: When Zane gets injured during training, he must come to terms with something none of them thought possible, pre-canon
1. Chapter 1

They'd been training when it happened, Cole was balancing on the poles when he heard a scream of pain coming from across the sanctuary grounds.

It sounded like Zane.

He leaped down from the post and rushed to their newest member, "Jay, get the first aid" he might not have known the new guy well, but he knew him well enough to understand that he wouldn't scream over nothing, the other ninja-in-training was curled around himself, just out of reach of the training machines. Cole ran up to him in a panic, "Zane" he cried out, leaning over him.

Zane was holding his arm to his chest, face contorted in pain, gently, Cole placed a hand on his shoulder, "Zane, hold on" Jay, returning with the first aid kit, ran up next to them "what happened, is he okay?" he asked as he opened the box, "I don't know" said, Cole, he turned back to Zane, "you still with us, Nostradamus?"

"I am conscious" said Zane, his voice strained, "but my arm-" he sat up, still holding his injured arm to his chest, carefully, Cole took his arm to care for the injury.

He'd expected to see blood.

Beneath a thin layer of fake skin and flesh, there was torn metal and broken wires.

For a moment, no one spoke.

"Zane?"

Cole tried to meet his eye, but Zane looked away.

Jay took his injured arm, somewhere between fascinated and concerned, "this is very advanced!" he said, excited, Zane pulled away, "please don't do that"

"We should get inside" said Cole, helping Zane up, the older teen's wounded arm dangling uselessly.

The three went to Zane's room and sat him down on his bed, he was uncharacteristically quiet, even by his standards, knowing he was the only one who could help, Jay left to get some supplies. Cole sat on the opposite end of the bed from him, eyeing him cautiously, thinking about how he should proceed, Sensei Wu wouldn't be back for a couple hours, and who knows what could happen in the meantime.

"Why are you here?" he asked, a bit harsher then he intended, "I was injured" replied Zane, sounding distant, "you brought me here"

Cole narrowed his eyes, "why did you come here, to the monastery?"

"Sensei wanted me to" Zane sounded less distant now, but there was an edge to his voice now.

Zane stood, holding his injured arm, he started to leave, but Cole stopped him, "are you really Zane?"

No one moved.

"I don't know"

Cole could barely hear him. His voice heavy with despair, he wasn't used to this level of uncertainty from the normally confident ninja, and it broke his heart.

Zane started back up towards the door, but Cole ran up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry" he said, "I shouldn't have-" he choked up, and Zane turned towards him, confused by the sudden change in attitude.

"I shouldn't have said that" Cole continued, removing his hand from Zane's shoulder and looking away, Zane looked away as well, "I understand why you wouldn't trust me" he said "I accept your apology"

The door opened, and Jay walked in, carrying his toolbox, he waved over the wounded ninja "here Zane, let's get a look at that arm!"

Zane complied, following him to his makeshift workshop, he pulled up a chair, "just sit here" he said, getting to work, mumbling to himself and asking questions about his companion's functionality. After a few minutes, Jay glanced up at Zane, who was trying not to look at his arm.

"Who made you?" he asked, Zane hesitated a moment, and then said "I don't remember"

"Are you sure?" Jay pressed, "don't you remember where you come from? Or anyone who raised you?"

Zane sat for a moment, wondering if he should answer, "the first thing I remember is wandering alone through the snow, that was about a year ago"

He was family, afterall.

Jay frowned, "you sure you don't remember anyone?" he asked, Zane shook his head, "no" he paused, again considering what he was about to say, "no one really wanted me around before Sensei"

Jay stopped what he was doing, looking back at Zane's face, "oh, I'm sorry" he said, going back to work. They didn't talk for a bit, the younger of the two quietly repairing his friend's arm.

"Is that better?" he asked, Zane moved his arm, experimentally, and then ran the previously numb hand along the edge of his seat,"it seems to be in working order" he said, getting to his feet, "thank you" he started to leave the room.

"Hey, uh, Zane" said Jay, and Zane paused, looking back at him, "I want you to know that I don't just see you as a machine, sorry I thought you where weird"

Zane smiled, "I'm glad to know" he said, "thank you again"

He hung out a couple seconds more, seeing if Jay had anything else to say, before leaving for real.


	2. Chapter 2

Cole and Jay walked up front, talking excitedly among themselves, Zane walked a few feet behind the two, enjoying the forests around him, they needed to be out of the sanctuary for a couple weeks, something Jay had complained about quite a bit at first, although fortunately that had stopped by now.

After a few minutes, the two in front stopped abruptly, Zane didn't notice and ended up running into them, the two turned to look at him, "get your head out of the clouds space cadet" said Cole, not unaffectionately.

"I am sorry" said Zane, moving back, "its alright Zane" said Cole, starting to take off his pack, "yeah" said Jay, smiling at the android "everyone gets a little distracted sometimes, it's nothing to be ashamed of"

"thank you, Jay" Zane responded, smiling in return before he went about preparing the camp, Jay's gaze lingering a moment before he joined them.

The three ninja-in-training sat around the fire, Cole and Jay laughing uproariously at one of the inventor's jokes, Zane chuckled politely, despite not really getting it, just happy to be near them.

The laughter died down.

Jay glanced between his companions, "so, what did you guys do before" he waved his hand "all this?"

Cole leaned back "climbed mountains, fought bears, that sort of thing, you?"

Jay smiled, and began excitedly explaining his past, helping his parents with their restorations and discovering his interest for inventing, when he had finished, the two turned to Zane, who said nothing, only glancing between them. Cole looked away.

"You don't have to tell us" he said, "we understand"

Zane blinked, "understand what?" he asked, brow furrowing.

Cole shifted "if you don't want to talk, about your past, I mean"

"oh" Zane thought about it, "I awoke in the snow, after a few days alone someone found me and brought me to a village, I lived there until a month before Sensei found me"

Cole looked over at him, "what where you doing for that month?" he asked.

Zane looked at his hands, which where beginning to clench.

"I acted in a way they did not approve of, I spent the month looking for a new home"

He though back to him, not much older then Zane's own assumed age, the two never talked much, but neither had been much for talking anyways. They did share each other's company, though, and Zane was close to him in a way he wasn't with anyone else.

He hadn't known that would be a problem.

"I do not wish to discuss it"

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, they knew Zane didn't have the best social skills, but it was hard to imagine the android doing anything bad enough to warrant such treatment.

"we won't throw you out" said Cole "promise"

No one spoke for several moments more, until Jay changed the subject

"So, wanna see the invention I'm working on?"

Much later that night, as Jay was returning to camp, he noticed Zane sitting by where the fire had been, staring into space, he was about to return to his tent when Zane spoke.

"Jay"

Jay turned to look at him, "yeah?"

Zane twisted the bottom of his shirt in his hands "how do you know you are a person?"

Jay went to sit down next to him, but didn't answer right away: he'd never had to think of it.

He looked at the man sitting next to him as he thought of it, he... really did look human. If he hadn't fixed him with his own hands, he would never believe he was anything else.

The two sat together, and Jay realized how close their hands where to touching "knowing you're a person" he inhaled softly, the action bringing Zane's own lack of breathe too the forefront of both their minds "I think- I think it's vulnerability"

Zane turned to look at him, but didn't speak, the subtle shift of his body causing his icy fingers to brush against Jay's, causing the redhead to shiver.

"If you're scared, or sad, o-or uncertain- I'm not sure there's anything more human then that"

Zane smiled, looking down "I guess I am" he leaned against Jay, who felt his heart-rate rise in response, "thank you Jay, I feel better now"

Jay entwined his fingers with Zane's "I'm glad" his voice was uncharacteristically soft, Zane didn't answer, only shifting closer to the shorter boy, the slight chill of the android's body seeping through his clothes.

Abruptly, Zane pushed him off, quickly climbing to his feet, "it is late, we should rest for tomorrow"

"oh, of course" said Jay, disappointed, he stood, "goodnight"

He glanced at the robot one more time before going to his tent, settling down for the following day.


End file.
